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Xref: sserve comp.unix.aix:48789 comp.unix.bsd:15560 comp.unix.pc-clone.32bit:7728 comp.unix.solaris:28263 comp.unix.unixware:15149 Newsgroups: comp.unix.aix,comp.unix.bsd,comp.unix.pc-clone.32bit,comp.unix.solaris,comp.unix.unixware Path: sserve!newshost.anu.edu.au!harbinger.cc.monash.edu.au!bunyip.cc.uq.oz.au!munnari.oz.au!spool.mu.edu!agate!darkstar.UCSC.EDU!news.hal.COM!decwrl!netcomsv!netcom.com!rbbrown From: rbbrown@netcom.com (Randolph B. Brown) Subject: Re: Unix for PC Message-ID: <rbbrownD0pIvC.2uJ@netcom.com> Followup-To: comp.unix.aix,comp.unix.bsd,comp.unix.pc-clone.32bit,comp.unix.solaris,comp.unix.unixware Organization: NETCOM On-line Communication Services (408 261-4700 guest) X-Newsreader: TIN [version 1.2 PL1] References: <3bvmo1$hgr@cascade.pnw.net> <STEINAR.HAUG.94Dec6203939@runit.sintef.no> <D0Ex7E.2nv@ssbunews.ih.att.com> <3c4rhh$54a@bantu.provo.novell.com> <3c5cos$bhb@crl7.crl.com> <3c86fs$3k5@bantu.Provo.Novell.COM> Distribution: inet Date: Mon, 12 Dec 1994 16:52:24 GMT Lines: 69 Darren R. Davis (darrend@bikini.USG.Sandy.Novell.COM) , responding to claims of better featire set in Solaris in article <3c5cos$bhb@crl7.crl.com> by jpatrick@crl.com (J. Heather Patrick) writes: (edited to attempt to improve bandwidth usage, therby risking flames from folks who have no sympathy for those with slow newsfeeds; if you really want to read the whole other article again, look up the reference) [snip] : |> 1) cachefs : Cache for what? Memory? How about memfs in UnixWare 2.0. Darren, that's two strikes in one response. First, cachefs uses local disk space to cache files accessed through NFS; something like Andrew FS or DCE's DFS. It's a big win in certain situations, such as distributing a set of (read-only) applications. I would have preferred that they do AFS or DCE with DFS, but cachefs has its points. Second, sorry, but UnixWare 2.0 isn't shipping; Solaris 2.4 for Intel is. I can't compare the two. If you start, we'll have to drag in Cairo, Daytona, OSF/1 microkernel with full DCE and DME on the 800 MHz Alpha-2, Solaris on PowerPC, and so on. I'd rather not. [snip] : |> 3) thread support : UnixWare 2.0 First, unless Novell's developers are uniquely better than all others (Unix, VMS, NT, *all* others), it will take some time (say about 1 year of serious use) to get most of the gotchas wrung out of your threads. Solaris has been shipping with threads (kernel, device driver, streams, and application) for a long time. Second, UnixWare 2.0 isn't shipping yet, so it really doesn't count at all, particularly toward maturity time. [snip] : |> 6) a better X environment : A non-standard X environment! Once again, you seem a little uninformed. Solaris 2.4 ships with MIT X11 and Display Postscript. NeWS is gone. You have a choice between Motif and OpenLook, and CDE snapshot is available. I can't see what's non-standard. [snip] : |> 8) working man pages : Mine work fine. Well, your experience differs from that of the usual PE user. : |> 9) a proper sysvr4 kernal that doesn't have to be compiled : What does this mean? It means you don't have to recompile the kernel to add device drivers or change tuning parameters or even add patches. All device drivers are loadable. You can actually add new disks without turning off the system, or change the number of pseudotty's or POSIX_CHOWN_RESTRICTED (or however it's spelled) by editing a file and rebooting. [snip] Darren, I actually *like* UnixWare. But I've always felt that the folks at Novell were uninformed about what is really available in Solaris or HPUX, or even in AIX or OSF/1. (I think AT&T GIS nee' NCR can play with these folks, but it's a secret.) The competition for advanced features isn't SCO or Interactive.